It’s time for me to answer some more illustration questions on the Pencil Pals Problem Page.
Every month I take an illustration question/topic and dig into it in a Substack post. Go on, rummage around in my brain! 🧠 Send me a topic or ask me a question, big or small, important or trivial.
Hi Helen, I’m currently working through my first picture book commission, ( all thanks to the Good Ship Picturebook course!) can you recommend fonts and size of font you recommend for picture books? Thanks! Erin
- do you start with a prompt or list down ideas and things you'd like to have in this new illustration you're creating.
- How do you look up your reference and get inspiration from.
- Do you do a draft sketch and play around with the composition before you're decide the final choice.
- How do you decide on which colors to use and why those colors, where does the inspiration or idea come from? Or is it more based on familiarity or experience when you've tried out many different combinations.
When you work digitally how do you check your colors for printing? Can you trust a good home printer?
Cool picture 💛
Hi Helen, I’m currently working through my first picture book commission, ( all thanks to the Good Ship Picturebook course!) can you recommend fonts and size of font you recommend for picture books? Thanks! Erin
How do you plan out your illustrations?
For example,
- do you start with a prompt or list down ideas and things you'd like to have in this new illustration you're creating.
- How do you look up your reference and get inspiration from.
- Do you do a draft sketch and play around with the composition before you're decide the final choice.
- How do you decide on which colors to use and why those colors, where does the inspiration or idea come from? Or is it more based on familiarity or experience when you've tried out many different combinations.
I would love to see you're creative process.